Posted by Trisha on July 23, 2015

Mary Gaitskill returns to fiction with a long-awaited third novel, The Mare, on November 3.

Her two earlier novels (Two Girls, Fat and Thin and Veronica) were edgy explorations of the challenges women face in the world—and this time, she's turning her focus to cultural differences and the complicated bonds that can arise when a childless couple tries to mentor a teen from a different background. Comfortable in their Upstate New York suburb, Ginger and Paul never had children. But when they agree to sponsor the horse-riding lessons of an underprivileged young girl, a life-changing relationship begins to unfold.

Posted by Hilli on July 23, 2015

As a forensic anthropologist, New York Times best-selling mystery author Kathy Reichs knows a thing or two about the grizzly details of a crime scene, but she's also an accomplished home cook, to boot. Try her recipe for Shrimp Scampi—excerpted from The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook—to fuel your marathon reading sessions throughout the rest of Private Eye July.

KATHY REICHSShrimp Scampi

I live in Charlotte, North Carolina, and own a beach home on a barrier island outside Charleston, South Carolina. Like my character, Temperance Brennan, I constantly shift between the two locations. Whether in the piedmont or the low country, one thing remains constant. My family and I eat a lot of seafood. Especially shrimp.

2. Peel and devein the shrimp, and either leave the tails attached or remove them (I leave them on). Rinse and pat dry.

3. Mix the remaining ingredients and toss with the shrimp to coat evenly.

4. Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with foil and arrange the shrimp on it in one layer.

5. Place the shrimp 3 to 4 inches under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes. It is not necessary to turn them as they cook.

6. Baste the shrimp and serve hot over rice.

KATHY REICHS’s first novel Déjà Dead was an international sensation. Her seventeen other Temperance Brennan novels include Fatal Voyage, Monday Mourning, Devil Bones, Spider Bones, Bones of the Lost, and BonesNever Lie. She is a producer of the TV series Bones and coauthor of the young adult Virals books.

Excerpted from The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook edited by Kate White. Reprinted with permission from Quirk Books.

It’s Private Eye July at BookPage! All month long, we’re celebrating the sinister side of fiction with the year’s best mysteries and thrillers. Look for the Private Eye July magnifying glass for a daily dose of murder, espionage and all those creepy neighbors with even creepier secrets.

Posted by Lily on July 23, 2015

There are plenty of great books coming out next month to round out your summer. LibraryReads has put together a list of the 10 books publishing in August that librarians are most excited about putting on their shelves.

Everyone's looking forward to Louise Penny's next Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, The Nature of the Beast, as well as Alice Hoffman's novel The Marriage of Opposites, about the mother of a one of the artistic geniuses behind the Impressionist movement.

Stephanie Clifford's debut novel about a woman's attempt to break into the WASP-y world of Manhattan's elite in 2006, Everybody Rise, is sure to be in a lot of beach totes this August. Robert Goolrick goes Wolf of Wall Street in his latest, The Fall of Princes, which follows the decline of one man in the fast world of 1980s New York, and the psychological suspenseBlack-Eyed Susansby Julia Heaberlin is perfect for readers looking for something to pick up after The Girl on the Train.

You can see the full August LibraryReads list here. What book are you most looking forward to reading next month?

Posted by Cat on July 22, 2015

The latest suspense novel from Julia Heaberlin blends "CSI" with psychological drama, as a serial killer's sole survivor finds herself doubting her own past—and her own role in a man's sentencing. But as with so many popular contemporary thrillers, the more she pursues the truth, the more readers begin to doubt her narrative.

Alternating between past and present, Black-Eyed Susans contrasts the chilling details of Tessa Cartwright's abduction with the renewed search for the killer 20 years later. A man sits on death row, convicted of kidnapping Tessa and killing the other victims, the so-called Black-Eyed Susans—but an anti-death penalty lawyer and an eminent forensic scientist aren't convinced that he's guilty.

I stutter out my request. There's an immediate glint of recognition by the woman, a slight softening of her mouth. She locates the small crescent-moon scar under my eye. The woman's eyes say poor little girl, even though it's been eighteen years, and I now have a girl of my own.

"I'm Bessie Wermuth," she says. "And this is my husband, Herb. Come in, dear." Herb is scowling and leaning on his cane. Suspicious, I can tell. I don't blame him. I am a stranger, even though he knows exactly who I am. Everyone in a five-hundred-mile radius does. I am the Cartwright girl, dumped once upon a time with a strangled college student and a stack of human bones out past Highway 10, in an abandoned patch of field near the Jenkins property.

I am the star of screaming tabloid headlines and campfire ghost stories.

I am one of the four Black-Eyed Susans. The lucky one.

What are you reading?

It’s Private Eye July at BookPage! All month long, we’re celebrating the sinister side of fiction with the year’s best mysteries and thrillers. Look for the Private Eye July magnifying glass for a daily dose of murder, espionage and all those creepy neighbors with even creepier secrets.

Posted by Lynn on July 21, 2015

A highly anticipated sequel and two promising debut novels are on sale in paperback today:

The Rosie EffectBy Graeme SimsionSimon & Schuster • $15.95 • ISBN 9781476767321
This sequel to Simsion's 2013 hit The Rosie Project (which is set to be adapted to film with Jennifer Lawrence in the starring role) follows odd couple Rosie and Don to New York City as they begin married life—and await the birth of their first child. This winning look at the anxieties of fatherhood was the BookPage Top Pick in fiction in January when it was released in hardcover.

The Story of Land and SeaBy Katy Simpson SmithHarper Perennial • $15.99 • ISBN 9780062335951
Smith's powerful and poetic debut, set in the South during the Revolutionary War era, drew considerable critical acclaim when it was published in hardcover last year. The paperback includes an essay by the author about the novel's origins and her research into 18th-century events and figures.

The Coincidence of Coconut CakeBy Amy E. ReichertGallery • $16 • ISBN 9781501100710
What happens when a talented Milwaukee chef finds herself falling for the very reviewer who skewered her restaurant? In this paperback original, Reichert cooks up a tasty mix of comedy and romance as the two take the first steps toward an unlikely relationshlp. The book includes a readers group guide—and a recipe for coconut cake.

Posted by Cat on July 21, 2015

Vacations and murder mysteries--escapism at its best! The 14 stories in Resorting to Murder, collected by editor Martin Clark, encapsulate this joy of escapism while exploring some hidden gems from the golden age of British crime fiction. Clark shares a preview of his collection, while shedding some light on why it's more likely we'll commit a little bit of murder while on vacation.

Guest post by Martin Clark

Holidays offer us the luxury of getting away from it all. So, in a different way, do detective stories. Yet another means of enjoyable escapism involves taking a glance at the past. Resorting to Murder, a new title in the British Library’s extraordinarily successful Crime Classics series, combines these three forms of pleasure-taking. In compiling the anthology, I’ve chosen vintage stories written over a span of roughly half a century, each with the backdrop of a holiday. And it’s fascinating to see the different plots that the authors came up with in the vacation setting.

Why are holiday mysteries so much fun? I can suggest a couple of reasons. First, when authors themselves visit an unfamiliar and intriguing location on holiday, it often serves to inspire their writing. Second, our lives change pace on holiday. We are more receptive than usual to fresh experiences. And sometimes, people take risks on holiday that lead them into danger, and even into crime. A holiday mystery seems more credible than a whodunit set in our backyard.

Resorting to Murder focuses on the work of British writers, although with a wide variety of settings. We have Arthur Conan Doyle and his brother-in-law E.W. Hornung, as well as those giants of the early 20th century, Arnold Bennett and G.K. Chesterton. Naturally, “the Golden Age of Murder” between the two World Wars is also represented.

I’ve included stories that have won acclaim over the years, but I was also keen to unearth previously hidden gems. “Razor Edge” by Anthony Berkeley—whose brilliance with plot had even Agatha Christie in raptures—is represented by a story so (undeservedly) obscure that even the British Library did not have a copy. Luckily, I have one in my personal collection of Golden Age fiction, correspondence and memorabilia, which was the source of much of the material for my book about Berkeley, Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and their colleagues in the Detection Club, The Golden Age of Murder. The stories by Phyllis Bentley and Helen Simpson are almost as rare as Berkeley’s, despite the success which both writers achieved. The tales written by H.C. Bailey (once a major figure in the genre, but now almost forgotten), Leo Bruce and the little-known Gerald Findler have seldom been reprinted.

The stories in Resorting to Murder are presented broadly (but not precisely) in chronological order, reflecting the way in which the holiday mystery evolved over the years. My hope is that readers will find the book is rather like the best kind of holiday—enjoyable and relaxing, with nice touches of the unexpected, and offering memories to look back on with a good deal of pleasure.

Martin Edwards is Series Consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and author of The Golden Age of Murder (HarperCollins). Visit him at www.martinedwardsbooks.com.

Posted by Hilli on July 21, 2015

There are few things that cause as much excitement and trepidation as a beloved book making its way to the big screen. Whether you're usually inspired to see the screen adaptation after reading the book, or are compelled to go to your favorite library or bookstore after seeing the film, we've rounded up the biggest releases to look forward to through the end of this year.

After the blockbuster success of the 2014 screen adaptation of Green's The Fault in Our Stars, it's safe to bet that Paper Towns will be a huge hit with teens and adults alike. In theaters July 24, this story follows Quentin "Q" Jacobsen as he finds a series of clues that lead him to take a winding road trip that hopefully ends wherever the love of his life, Margo Roth Spiegelman, has run off to.

If the critically-acclaimed adaptation of Flynn's best-selling Gone Girlis any indicator, then Dark Places—starring Charlize Theron—is sure to boast some shocking twists along with scenes you'll want to watch through your fingers. This time, the mystery surrounds a 25-year-old case involving a family murder and a Satanic cult in rural Kansas. Catch it in theaters on August 20, before someone spoils it for you.

Bryson, beloved nonfiction author, travel humorist and memoirist, chronicled his hilarious and inspiring journey along the Appalachian Trail in 1998. After years of script and production delays, Robert Redford is finally making good on his promise to star as Bryson in the long-awaited film adaptation, which arrives in theaters September 2.

The second book in Dashner's dystopian Maze Runner series hits theaters September 18, and it's sure to continue delivering huge doses of edge-of-your-seat action as 16-year-old Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) and the rest of the Gladers discover that their escape from the maze was just the beginning. A menacing group of adults sends them running for their lives yet again, and this time they must band together to survive the desolate site of the apocalypse—the "Scorch."

Krakauer's firsthand account of the disastrous 1996 "rogue storm" that caused the death of nine climbers on Mount Everest is a heart-wrenching, yet incredibly detailed story of bravery and the unimaginably difficult choices that sherpas, guides and climbers were faced with during that second week in May. The film version is called Everest, and the star-studded cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley and Josh Brolin.

Colm Tóibín is the consummate Irish author, and his book about about Ellis, a young Irish woman who leaves behind her family for the promise of finding work in Brooklyn, New York, is a moving tale of immigration in the 1950s. Although Ellis quickly settles in to life in New York and even finds love, news of tragedy in Ireland forces her to choose between her past and a promising future. Starring Saoirse Ronan and with a screenplay written by best-selling author Nick Hornby, this is sure to be a heartbreaking but powerful film.

Following in the grand tradition of chopping the final installment of a book’s movie franchise two parts, Mockingjay Part II, the last movie in the Hunger Games series, will be coming to theaters on November 20. The Katniss Everdeen led coup against the Capital has finally turned into a full-blown revolution, and by the looks of the teaser trailer, things are about to get (even more) deadly during the final showdown.

Self-described "space nerd" Andy Weir's debut novel was the breakout hit of 2014. A little over a year after its first publication, this story of a completely stranded member of a NASA crew's struggle for survival on Mars is already making its way to the big screen. Masterful sci-fi director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) takes the reins with Matt Damon starring as Astronaut Mark Watney.

Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea is aterrifying and true account of the sinking of a New England whaling ship in 1820. But the ship didn't go down due to pirates or a perfect storm: The ship's attacker was an enraged sperm whale, and the aftermath later served as inspiration for Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby Dick. The film version is directed by Ron Howard and sports an all-star cast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw. After being pushed back earlier this year, the release date is now scheduled for December 11.

Did you know that a revenant is "one that returns after death or a long absence?" Well, now you have some idea of what you can expect from Punke's chilling historical novel. While mountain man and fur trapper Hugh Glass is out on a hunt in 1823, his two partners set him up for certain death. But after surviving a brutal grizzly bear attack, Glass sets his sights on exacting revenge, and he must survive a journey through unforgiving, uncharted and dangerous Western territory in order to do so. Directed by Academy Award winner Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) and starring Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio, this film will be in theaters December 25—just in time for the next award season.

Posted by Cat on July 20, 2015

Truly insatiable readers require more than one book to get them through a week-long vacation. These 10 stellar mystery and thriller series have solid backlists as well as excellent new 2015 installments—ensuring entertainment that goes on and on and on and . . .

Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series
It all began with Darkly Dreaming Dexter, about the polite and lovable Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who only kills bad people. Lindsay never envisioned it would become a series, but after 11 years, seven national best-selling books and a hit TV show, the author closes out the series with his eighth and aptly titled final novel, Dexter Is Dead. Check out our coverage of the Dexter series, especially our Q&A with Lindsay about Dexter Is Dead, which came out this month.

Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series
In her first adventure, The Crossing Places (2010), archaeologist Ruth Galloway is drawn into a murder mystery when she determines that some found remains are 2,000 years old. The following six books have been a wildly entertaining blend of history, romance and whodunit. Check out our coverage of the Ruth Galloway series, including our review of the seventh and most recent installment, The Ghost Fields.

Charles Todd's Inspector Ian Rutledge series
The mother-son writing team of "Charles Todd" first introduced Rutledge in 1996, with A Test of Wills, set in 1919 England, with the intrepid Scotland Yard inspector trying to move on with his career after WWI. New installments have come out almost every year since, and the series now numbers 17. Check out our coverage of the Ian Rutledge series, including our review of A Fine Summer's Day, which could be considered a standalone or a prequel to this excellent series.

Walter Mosley's Leonid McGill series
It's likely that avid mystery readers already devour Mosley's popular Easy Rawlins books, but the author's series featuring NYC private eye Leonid McGill should be appreciated as well, beginning with The Long Fall (2009). In book #5, And Sometimes I Wonder About You, McGill is balancing some chaos in his personal life while hunting down a purported rare manuscript thief. When it comes to great books, here's an easy rule of thumb: Never miss Mosley. Check out all our coverage of Mosley's books.

Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series
Beginning in 1992 with Death at La Fenice, Leon has consistently offered fans fascinating explorations of Venice through the character-driven, atmospheric Brunetti mysteries. Readers who (inevitably) get hooked on this series will delight in the fact that Leon's latest installment, Falling in Love, harkens back to the first book. Check out all our coverage of Leon's books.

Martin Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police series
From the very beginning, in Bruno, Chief of Police (2008), British author Walker blended all of our favorite things: wine, marvelous food, mysteries and the French countryside. What else could we want? Check out our coverage of the Bruno, Chief of Police series, including our review of the 10th installment, The Children Return. Book #11, The Patriarch, comes out next month.

Taylor Stevens' Vanessa Michael Munroe series
Though there are already five thrillers in Stevens' series starring kickass heroine Vanessa Michael Munroe, beginning with her 2011 debut, The Informationist, we'd wager you could blow through the whole stack in only a few sittings. It's fast, action-packed reading, with exotic locales and crisp writing. Check out our coverage of the Vanessa Michael Munroe series, including our review of The Mask.

Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series
London-born Cotterill lives in Southeast Asia, where he writes both the Jimm Juree novels (set in southern Thailand) and the award-winning Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery series. Readers met Laos' aging coroner in 2004's The Coroner's Lunch, set circa 1976 after the communists took power. The subsequent books have been a rollicking, eccentric saga, full of wicked humor and clever charm, as with book #10, Six and a Half Deadly Sins. Check out all our coverage of Cotterill's books.

Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford series
White's first Doc Ford novel, Sanibel Flats (1990), immediately pegged his marine biologist and ex-CIA agent hero as the ultimate successor to John D. MacDonald’s legendary Travis McGee. And there's no question these salty, sandy mysteries make for perfect beach reading. Check out our coverage of the Doc Ford books, including our review of the 22nd in the series, Cuba Straits.

It’s Private Eye July at BookPage! All month long, we’re celebrating the sinister side of fiction with the year’s best mysteries and thrillers. Look for the Private Eye July magnifying glass for a daily dose of murder, espionage and all those creepy neighbors with even creepier secrets.

Posted by Lily on July 20, 2015

Brenda Bowen updates the classic Enchanted April with her summery novel, Enchanted August. Bowen, who writes children's books under the pen name Margaret McNamara, sets her novel in coastal Maine, where a cast of characters are relieved of their real-world woes by a summer diet of lobster, lazy days and long strolls. Our reviewer writes that Bowen "has created a charming and witty update with a setting that could not be more appealing." (Read the full review.)

We asked Bowen to tell us about three books she's enjoyed reading lately.

I’m crazy about Nick Hornby. He’s a guy’s guy, a bloke’s bloke. Yet in Funny Girl, he writes about a talented comedienne who comes out of nowhere (well . . . Blackpool), and takes the young medium of television by storm. This is a book about a dazzling moment in recent British history—the Swinging Sixties—that reminds us of just how fresh and original and exciting popular culture was then. Mike Myers’ Austin Powers is a send-up of a mod, but Nick Hornby’s very funny girl, Sophie Straw, is the real thing. Read this book for the period detail, for the beautifully observed characters, for an evocation of a “golden moment” of creative collaboration, or just to put yourself in the hands of a master of comic writing (which, by the way, is so much harder to pull off than it seems).

If you had any doubt that the American medical system was failing patients at the end of their lives, this book will make you absolutely sure it is. We all know that we throw too much money at desperate measures in the last six months of life; Gawande’s fluid, eloquent prose dramatizes the emotional cost of those measures. He asks terminally ill patients some simple questions: What outcomes are unacceptable to you? What are you willing to sacrifice and not? And most tellingly: What would a good day look like? And then he really listens to the answers.

The fact that this book has become a major bestseller is testament not only to the clarity of Gawande’s writing and thinking, but to our own desperate need for change. I had been putting off making out a living will for years before reading Being Mortal; I completed one the day after I finished it.

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald

This is my first Penelope Fitzgerald, and I am actually in the middle of it right now. In bracing prose, Fitzgerald uses only the sparest words and simplest sentences to bring to life the complicated, petty, generous, conflicted, extremely human denizens of her fictitious town of Hardborough, a place as flinty as its name. Florence Green bravely opens a bookshop in the un-picturesque seaside town in East Anglia in 1959. She is determined to make a go of it, although almost everyone and everything—including the town’s oppressive social arbiter, the neighboring fishmonger and the poltergeist that apparently haunts the building—seem to want to get in her way. I’m up to the part where she has just decided to stock Nabokov’s Lolita, the much-banned, most scandalous book of the year—and so far the reception is profitable, but not happy. I fear for dear Florence and her fragile bookshop, but I think—hope—she will prevail. (No spoilers, please!)